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Category: Personal

Got back from a long day at London FIlm & Comic Con yesterday, 6:30 train from Chester getting to Earls Court for about 09:40.

So what can I say about my first London Convention, well firstly it was hot, really hot, and packed out, really packed out which together meant an at times unbearable heat!

Really felt sorry for some of the cosplayers, especially those wearing full on body suits and helmets such as War Machine, a number of Power Rangers, a small force of Mandalorian Warriors and an amazing Chewbacca cosplayer!

Oh and I never mentioned Optimus Prime who parked outside with Bumblebee.

What I learnt from my first experience is if at all possible Pre-book passes for any and all photo shoots you want to do and expect to have to take a queue ticket to meet some of your favourite stars as between me and my sister I had to pass on seeing Edward James Olomos and Jamie Bamber.

I did get to meet and get autographs with Scifi legends David Hewlett and Dominic Keating who played Dr Rhodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis and Lt Malcolm Reed on Enterprise who were both fun to talk to.

Also got to meet and get my photo with childhood hero David Yost who played Billy the Blue Mighty Morphin Power Ranger but wish I had made the time to at least get autographs from Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy who played Bulk and Skull on not only Mighty Morphin but for years afterward. Maybe another time.

Away from the guests there was much to see, plenty of toys and collectables, some very old and some shiny and new and a highlight of the day was “flying” the Tardis with my sister before running into a couple of friends from the world of the internet including Andy (who was suited up as the Green Time Force Power Ranger) and Sian minus her usual Green Ranger costume [update, check out her new Facebook page Green Ranger Girl’s Morphenomenal Cosplay Adventures] and Stu who runs Mecha Imports specialising in Japanese Sentai Mecha (Check out his site www.mechaimports.com as well as the Mecha Imports Facebook page) but has an interest in Transformers and a whole host of robot related related characters.

So lessons learned and a new convention challenge; aim to collect the signatures from a cast member who played one of the main five Power Rangers, so thats one down leaving four to go next target being Steve Cardenas who played Rocky the second Red Ranger who will be at Wrexham in November.

One to finish off, an extra highlight of the day running into yet another childhood hero and cartoon favourite, Raphael the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle.

I am officially 30, which according to some means I am officially old… Which is strange seeming my rather epic birthday haul which included a limited edition copy of Arkham Origins which included a statue of Batman shaking down Joker, Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Lego and a Raphael TMNT Beenie Ball to name just three of my presents from rather generous friends and family who know me all too well!

So now for the first time in at least 20 something years its time to get building Lego… Who ya gonna call?

First day of a new job today with Webtise, big step up from working at Creative play for the last year.

So far so good, people seem nice and the Magento team has a good amount of talent and skill on board with both a Front and Back End Developer as well as a database/setup expert… I just hope I live up to expectations!

Two big changes in less than two weeks, first the birth of Evie and now starting a new working adventure a week later!

After nearly 9 months of worry, excitement and patient waiting (well on my part anyway) I am relieved to say that my gorgeous little girl has entered the world!

Cords were cut, cuddles were had (a few tears were shed) and Mummy and Baby are doing well… Now its time to have a quick shower and back to the hospital to introduce the parents to their first Grandchild and the little Sister to her Niece.

Ok so its been a while since I remembered to update this, about 6 months infact and almost a year since I started this and to be honest its been quite a 6 months…

Since then I discovered that Ness and I are having a baby (due in just over a month, scary times) and we are buying a house at the moment so waiting for all the surveys, reports, checks and things to sign to slowly trickle through!

Its also my birthday, which means today I turned 29 and theres one more year until I’m 30, so time to check out those ‘10 things to do before I’m 30‘ and see what I have done;

Take up archeryDone and decided not to carry on, it was fun so maybe I will take it up properly when I can buy all the stuff

Jump out of a perfectly good airplane

Learn to Suba dive (and maybe face my supposed fear of sharks)

Get fit, do some sort of marathon Spent most of the year in physio with my knee, better luck next time I suppose

Visit Scotland and Ireland – they are right there and Ive not been so why not

Buy a house Currently sorting that one

Drive a car which turns heads (for the right reasons) even if its rented for the weekend

Retire when I’m 30 (hmmm, this one may be tricky but you never know)

Ok so 1 and a half / 2 isnt too bad I suppose… it just means I have more left to do over the next 12 months! And as I didnt do that much of last years list I may as well make it up to ’10 things’ again;

Buy a house (Ok this is cheating but as its not done yet I call no foul)

Visit Scotland and / or Ireland (trips away cost so visiting one of them will so)

Start cooking more and cooking more adventurously

Consider saving for when I’m old #yawn

Jump out of a perfectly good airplane

Visit another Country (Not Scotland or Ireland)

Once done (hopefully most if not all) the other 9 plan 10 more things to do after I’m 30, as for 30 is just the beginning!

As you may have noticed I took out most of the expensive stuff as I am reliably told babies are a pretty hefty investment, plus retiring at 30 would never happen anyway, even if I won the Euro Millions… I just hope this time next year I’m not just ticking off a couple of points from that list!

As a young Mathew Broderick once said as Ferris Beuller…

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

This is my year post… there may be many like it, but this one is mine =]

When one year comes to an end and another begins you start thinking about what you have done that year and what you plan to in the one to come, almost like my ‘10 things to do before I turn 30‘ bucket list.

So in 2012 I have:

Moved back in with parents so I can save to buy instead of renting (Thanks Mum, Dad and little sister Charlie)

Started a new job

Turned 28 … great a year and a half till 30! Better get moving on that bucket list!

Went to my first ever Stag weekend (yeh 28 and had never been to one sue me)

Went on proper week long holiday for the first time since 2009

Unfortunately I also:

Had my car terminally break down coming off the M56, wouldn’t advise anyone to do that

In 2013 I will:

Buy a house … very soon I hope

Buy a newer, much more reliable and Ness friendly car (no more old Fiesta’s)

Spent another evening trying to hit a target with a bow and arrow, this time a slightly further target at 20 feet but a better bow. This week it was the turn of the recurve bow which we first had to learn to put together ourselves before loosing arrows. We will be using these bows for the rest of the course (or at least the next few weeks), so next week I get to use bow no 23 again, which should be easy to remember as its one of my lucky numbers…lets hope its a luckier bow than it is a lottery ball number!

Early during the first hour one of the instructors explained how to score the targets, at that point me a Charlie started some brother/sister rivalry and started keeping count during each round. It actually worked out pretty evenly although I think she may have been slightly in the lead (although if you talk to her she will tell you I won, nice that both of us are so modest).

So Robin Hood I’m not but its only the second week of doing it, theres only been 4 hours so far and practice makes perfect. The recurve shot much nicer than the bare bow, which you would expect as even though they are basic Olympic style bows they are still much better than the training bows last week and even came with a sight. I learnt that I need to pull the arrow back using my back muscles instead of my shoulder which will bring about a smoother more consistent draw and so shot and that when I get it right I can get some pretty good hits on the target.

Next week will start properly scoring, which should be interesting especially as some of the others are getting some good, consistent groupings.

Its Friday 13th, which means today is one of those days where the more superstitious amongst us will be extra careful when walking near ladders, not crossing the path of cats no matter the colour and making sure not to smash any reflective surfaces.

To the rest of us its Friday, welcome to the weekend!

There is also one week left until the release of one of the most anticipated movies of the year, the third and final installment of the Batman Begins trilogy. Eagerly awaited since the closing closing scenes of the last film, The Dark Knight, this years follow up The Dark Knight Rises will be an end of the saga with Director Christopher Nolan and current man behind the cowl Christian Bale stepping aside.

My current Mac desktop is one of the imaginative Bat signal posters based on the early teaser trailer.

I have that other blog on my portfolio / CV site and decided I want something a bit more personal…so here we go.

It was my birthday last week and turning 28 means one thing, being constantly reminded that there are 24 months (less now) until I am 30!

Now turning 28 is no big thing really and its nothing to go on about, it does make you think back that it was 10 years since you hit 18. My 18th coincided with a black tie party where I worked at the time, MBNA Bank, which was held at the Chester Racecourse and included casually chatting to a 4 Star US General who was one of the big bosses at the time (and to any Villa fans out there you weren’t the first to refer to him simply as ‘The General’).

The last 10 years have been filled with different things, I went to College (more than once to do various courses), spent time working for a couple of interesting companies, graduated from University with a 2:1 and moved out of home (and then back again to save to buy).

I’m told that the next two years must be filled with ‘bucket list’ adventures as obviously once you hit that big three-zero then it must be too late…at any rate heres my 10 things, in no particular order.

Visit Scotland and Ireland – they are right there and Ive not been so why not

Buy a house

Drive a car which turns heads (for the right reasons) even if its rented for the weekend

Retire when I’m 30 (hmmm, this one may be tricky but you never know)

I will probably add / change some of these as we go along, I would like to put together a ’30 things before I’m 30′ list but thats being optimistic so for now its 10.

Not to rest on my heels I have already started with a beginners archery course last night.

First impressions were enjoyable, shooting a bare bow (thats a basic bow with no sight or any fancy bits) and getting used to drawing and shooting arrows. While getting some good groupings I did manage to clip the edge of the target at one point sending the arrow off down the field and into a bush, luckily it was easily found!

Thats all for now, if you have any ideas for my 24 month countdown list why not add a comment or tweet me @mynameschris